Page 94 of Like Grim Death: Part One
Ella, watching her smile, laughing on a grassy hill, never knowing she’d be making deals with the devil when she grew up. Deals withme.
The video stops in my mind.
I see Julie’s body. Bloated, engorged from water or pooling blood or maybe both. I knew it was her the moment I decided to look properly. Tosee.I wanted to ignore it. I didn’t want to feel a fucking thing. But I helped her. I supported her, and not because she forced me. Because I wanted to. Because…Finn.
My chest aches, air burning my lungs.Where is he?But before I can spiral, I hold onto Elijah’s private discussion with me, weeks ago, after Rain was born, and continuing every week since.
Ortus.It’s coming. I only have to survive the next few weeks. I just don’t know how much more my family can take.
All of it. We have to.
The hood of my robe is pulled over my brow, a silky blindfold covering my eyes. I know my brothers are here too. Elijah told us as much.
But so is someone else. Someone I have yet to see.This is our proper introduction.
Chains pinch at my wrists bound behind my back, my ankles shackled to the chair, rooted to the cement floor.
Inhaling, I catch the scent of incense, thick and heavy.
I just have to survive.
I hear movement, a rustling, then a feminine, accented voice brushing against my ear.“Open.”
My heart rate picks up speed, and I can smell the perfume she wears. It smells good, like roses. I don’t want to obey her, but this is part of the initiation, continuing, Elijah explained.
I told him I don’t want anyone else in our brotherhood. We don’t need it.
Mikhail had laughed as we walked through the dark halls of Sanctum.“We will tell you what you need.”
But if I don’t open my mouth right now, if this ceremony isn’t completed, I might not go home. Worse, I might arrive and find no one else there.
Julie’s corpse flashes inside my head.
Rain. Lilith.
The 6 keep us in the dark because it’s hard to defend yourself when you don’t know what’s coming. I’m used to this aspect of my family’s organization. But I’m not fucking comfortable with the possibility of someone else joining our ranks.
And why? What’s the point?
Regardless, I force myself to open my mouth, because the consequences aren’t worth rebelling.
Something is dropped onto my tongue, sickly sweet, thick and viscous. I’ve done a lot of drugs in my life, and some small part of me thinks the 6 should remember I’m in recovery. But they don’t fucking care, and regardless, I don’t recognize the taste of this. Chemical, like cotton candy in the extreme.
For a moment, I consider spitting it out. But whether they’re in the room or watching by other means, I know the 6 are following along. My mouth waters, the taste makes me grimace, but after a moment, the woman still close, her breaths fanning over my lips because she’s no doubt waiting for me to comply, I swallow down the liquid. It seems to stick to my trachea, and I have to work up saliva in my mouth and swallow again, trying not to gag as I do.
It’s manmade, whatever it is. Created in a lab.
I still sense the girl. I wonder whereshewas created, and for what purpose.
A moment later, her finger comes to my lips, circling slowly over my mouth. My body goes rigid, then her breath coasts over my ear as she speaks again.
“Lick it.”
I think of Sid. What she would do if she could see me right now. Maybe nothing. Sometimes, I don’t know how much she cares at all. But I imagine her as a little girl, and I know why. Everything she ever tried to love only hurt her, so deep she can’t speak about it.
Something rough is around my mouth, the woman dabbing it on and dragging me away from hopeless thoughts. I tentatively run my tongue over my bottom lip.
Sugar. It’s some kind of sugar scrub, and it helps alleviate the chemical, tinny, sweet taste lingering on my tastebuds.
